We wear our glasses all day, but we don’t think much about the toll the day takes on our lenses.

You can’t always avoid having your glasses scratched or bent, but there are a lot of things you can do to preserve the clarity of your lenses and integrity of your frames.

Tip #1: Clean Your Glasses The Right Way

Our first instinct when we notice dusty or smudged lenses is to give them a quick wipe with our shirt. Don’t do it! Cleaning dry lenses with the wrong cloth simply grinds dirt and oils into them, leaving hairline scratches which soon cloud your vision. Instead, follow this guide:

Rinse the dust and dirt off your lenses with warm water. You can use a drop of non-citrus dishwashing liquid if needed.

Once your glasses are rinsed, only use microfiber lens cleaning cloths and lens cleaning solution. Other cleaning agents may dissolve the protective coating.

Don’t spit on your glasses to clean them. Aside from exposing your eyes to bacteria, the enzymes in saliva can eat away at anti-scratch lens coating.

Tip #2: If They’re Not On Your Face...

Glasses get sat on, knocked off nightstands, and dropped. The best thing you can do to protect them is to keep one simple rule--if they’re not on your face, keep them in a case! If you don’t have a case handy, be mindful of where you leave your glasses. Place them where they won’t get sat upon or swept to the floor.

Tip #3: Be Smart When Working Out

Wear a sports strap to keep your frames secure during physical activity. Better yet, wear an old backup pair. Sweat quickly dissolves some coatings on frames and lenses. If you frequently run or play sports, think about investing in a pair of activewear lenses. They have the comfort, protection, and toughness you’ll need.

Keep Your Glasses Looking New!

With proper care and a bit of precaution, your glasses can stay as clear and beautiful as the day you got them. To help with that, we’re proud to offer the latest in protective lens coatings. Ask us about them the next time you’re here for an appointment!

Thanks for choosing us as your support team for lifelong vision health. We appreciate you!

In addition to the basics, bring a list of questions or concerns you may have about your vision health. We love visiting with you.

The more we understand about your habits, concerns, and existing health conditions, the more personalized care we can provide. There are a few things you can do to help.

Maximize Our Time Together By Bringing Along...

1. Appropriate Healthcare Cards & Information

Do you carry your healthcare cards with you? Some of us do and some of us don’t. It’s a good idea to bring both your medical and vision insurance cards to your eye appointment with us. With these in hand, completing the necessary paperwork is easier, and we can ensure that the information we have about you is up to date.

2. Medications You’re Taking

To help us provide precise care, it’s important that we know the medications and/or supplements you take. Not just the ones that may be specific to your sight, but all of them! Before your appointment, make a list of current medications and supplements including dosages and frequencies. Thanks in advance.

3. Current Eyewear (including your sunglasses!)

Bring all of the eyewear you use to your appointments. This should include the sunglasses you may be wearing, daily wear, readers, or even occupational eyewear.

4. Notes With Your Questions And/Or Symptoms

Having a clear set of questions can help both of us with your lifelong vision care. If you’re managing chronic conditions, this list will help us see patterns, warning signs, and suggest improvements we can discuss.

Protect Your Vision With Regular Appointments

Regular comprehensive exams help protect one of your most precious assets— your vision! Our vision changes over time, so it’s important to keep scheduled appointments, even when you feel like there aren’t any “problems”. Preventive care is the best care.

We’re so grateful to be one of your lifelong, trusted healthcare partners! We value our relationship with you, and hope that you’ll come to us if you ever have questions or concerns about your sight. Thanks for being a part of our practice family!

Studies show that regular physical activity may decrease our chances of developing age-related eye diseases like glaucoma and macular degeneration. In a study of over 5,000 people, regular exercise decreased the incidence of glaucoma by 25%. How does this work? A controlled lab study of mice showed that regular exercise bolstered the eyes’ natural defenses against degeneration.

A Healthy Lifestyle Protects Against Weight-Related Eye Problems

Some eye diseases are linked to unhealthy weight problems. For example, high blood pressure can cause eye strain, damaging delicate nerves and blood vessels. Studies also show a link between obesity and increased age-related cataract risk. For those who suffer from diabetes, diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness in adults. A healthy, active lifestyle helps you protect against, and manage, problems like diabetes and hypertension.

4 Ways To Make Exercise A Part Of Each Day

Find activities you enjoy! If you like soccer, join a city league. If hiking is more your thing, pick a hiking day each week.

Make activity part of your daily routine. We’re creatures of habit! Pick a time of day and set it aside for exercise.

Find a buddy. Exercising with a friend, spouse, or co-worker can make it more enjoyable and help you stick to your goals.

Something is better than nothing! It’s okay to do your daily workout in pieces. Take a walk on your work break, and do a few squats while watching TV.

We Care About Your Whole Body Health

As your partner for a lifetime of good health, we want to empower our patients to live lifestyles that support healthy vision AND a healthy body. Consider this one more reason to be motivated in your daily workout. Do you have any great exercising tips of your own? Share them on our Facebook page! We love to hear from you. And remember, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your eye health, talk with us. We’re always happy to help.

Over 9,000 fireworks injuries occur each year. Many of these injuries include eye damage—sometimes permanently compromising vision!

It’s Fireworks Safety Month

Too many of us forget that fireworks are dangerous, explosive devices, NOT family-friendly toys! Always follow safe practices around fireworks, whether you’re attending a professional production, or using consumer fireworks in your driveway.

Educate yourself about the firework allowances and restrictions in your community. Those rules are there to keep the community safe! Also remember that fireworks ofany type—from a professional display to a lone sparkler—require careful safety precautions.

A Few Simple Rules For Fireworks Safety

Never leave kids alone to play with fireworks. ALWAYS include responsible adult supervision.

Always respect safety barriers, whether you’re at a professional display or using consumer fireworks.

Know your fireworks and read every label, then follow all recommendations and safety warnings!

Never relight a dud. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.

Wear eye goggles!

If you get ash in your eye, flush it out with water, don’t rub.

Remember, each of these precautions applies even for small, seemingly safe fireworks. Sparklers, for example, burn amazingly hot! They’re about 10 times hotter than boiling water. Imagine that flying at your face.

We Hope You Never Need This, But Just In Case...

Just in case you or someone you know does sustain an eye injury from fireworks, follow this rule: go straight to the emergency room. No sidetracks. Don’t touch the eye, remove any fragments, or even stop for painkiller. Get medical assistance as soon as possible!

Show Your Eyes The Respect They Deserve

Don’t put your precious eyesight in danger by being careless with pyrotechnics. Follow safety precautions and preserve your vision! If you ever have questions about your eyesight and health, let us know. We’re here to help! Enjoy the summer season. Have fun, and be safe.

Right now, consider the value of your vision. It enables you to function and be self-sufficient. How would you adjust without it?

Millions of people around the world confront this question as cataracts begin impeding their vision.

How Cataracts Affect Eyesight

Cataracts cloud the eye’s lens. The lens’ job is to focus light onto your retina. Without a clear, healthy lens that focus is diminished. Vision becomes blurry, hazy, and discolored.

At first, vision can be improved with magnification, good lighting, and other low vision aids. However, cataracts are progressive and eventually the only way to regain sight is through surgery.

Eye-Healthy Habits Can Reduce Cataract Risk

While the exact cause of cataracts is unknown, you can take measures to protect yourself, boost your eyes’ defense mechanisms, and protect them from harmful elements.

Always wear UV protection. UV light has a cumulatively damaging effect on your eyes, and has been shown to correlate with cataracts incidence. Talk to us about our excellent selection of protective eyewear.

Eat an eye-healthy diet. This includes antioxidants like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Your eyes rely on vitamins and minerals in your diet to counteract daily damage!

Monitor your sight through regular visits with our team. We can catch early signs of eye disease, and help you understand and regulate your risks.

Vision Is Our Passion

We all use our vision to connect with the world around us. Protect your healthy vision by taking good care of it. Let us know if we can ever do anything to help. We care deeply about preserving the healthy vision of our patients.